Episode 93 — Filling The Seat
Episode 93 — Filling The Seat
Fourteenth Day in the Month of Bush Clover (June 14) in the Year of the Griffon
Floor 35 — Front Line Floor 62
After a lot of fun with the kids, ending with Konpeito's delectable dinner, the Wondercolts finally regrouped at their Headquarters in Mishe. It was still a bit on the early side for most of their bedtime routines, but the next morning would bring a tough day with all Wondercolts hitting the Labyrinth.
Malus was intending to retreat to her room before an appropriate bedtime, but Bladescape and Natora asked to see her in Bladescape’s room. That was unusual, but the two of them did talk a lot in private as they led the guild and made plans.
“What’s up, y’all?” Malus asked as Natora closed Bladescape’s door. “This ain’t about the labyrinth. Natora can give you the run down.”
“No, it’s not about that,” Bladescape admitted. “Natora and I wanted to have a chat with you. We have spoken about it privately, but things apparently came to a head the other night when I wasn’t home.”
“The vote Thunder pushed?” Malus asked. That was easy enough to guess, but she still had no idea where they were going.
“Yes,” Bladescape confirmed.
“You know, y’all ain’t gotta follow the results,” Malus said. “The Wondercolts are led by a council, not popular votes or a single leader.”
“I haven’t even looked,” Bladescape stated. “And yes, we know it’s not binding.”
“Then what’s this about, y’all?” Malus asked. She was getting annoyed about all of the prancing around the issue.
“We need to fill that third seat,” Natora said. “We want you to fill it.”
“I ain’t takin Knightstar’s seat,” Malus stated. “Ain’t no way.”
“Now, hold on,” Bladescape said, putting her hand up to stop Malus’s protests. “Hear us out. First off, the seat isn’t Knightstar’s. She was who Natora and I needed in the beginning, specifically her ability to give us statistical information to survive. Also to break any ties, which we never had. We made our mistakes with her.”
“You’re makin another one right now!” Malus growled. “We just keep plowin ahead and no one is gettin her back! No one is remindin her who she is and that we’re her friends!”
“That’s also not true,” Bladescape calmly said. “Knightstar is a delicate situation. We are working on it. By we, I mean Doombunny. She has a plan to fix the rift that was torn. The rift was centered around her, so she is the best person to fix it. I don’t know the details. She's kind of keeping it quiet, but there was mention about a quest to get something special.”
“I share your sentiment,” Natora added. “I’m more of a mind to bust her door down and drag her back here. That may work between teammates, in certain scenarios, but not between friends. Not when feelings are involved. I haven’t known her as long as you two, but that morning stung. Doom slapped everyone, equally, with the truth.”
“That’s not what this is about,” Bladescape said, to redirect them back on topic. “Look, Malus, even if Knightstar were to walk in the door right now, Natora and I wouldn’t put her on the council. It was too much for her. We want her help with the stats, not her voting ability. You, though, you have a lot of experience with things Natora and I don’t. You’ve helped run a farm and organized a large family reunion. In Aincrad, you are an unmovable tank. You're level headed. The other members of the Assault Team see you as a leader. A cornerstone that they can rally to. A bar they can’t reach yet will always aspire to match. The ideal tank. Those are all very important optics to have in a guild officer.”
“And they respect you,” Natora added.
Malus didn’t want to lead anyone. They were right, she did have experience they lacked and a different view of life. She was important to the Assault Team and it would look good for the Wondercolts if she took that seat, but she didn’t want it.
“That’s all fine and all, but if y’all have to put someone there, why not someone who wants it, like Thunder?” Malus asked. “She’s led lots of sports teams.”
“The most others have seen of Thunder boils down to two moments,” Natora said. “Killing the scorpion boss’ eggs and running with Asuna and I in the fifty-seventh boss chamber. Oh, and when she challenged Asuna to the duel over the nickname, ‘Lighting Flash.’”
“Don’t forget her leading the first team against the Geocrawler,” Bladescape added. “Still, that’s four moments. Malus, you have not been in one floor boss battle and been key in a dozen or so, for a variety of reasons. At least a dozen, but that really isn’t the point. It isn’t a popularity contest and we don’t need the captain of a sports team. Not for the council seat. The other night shows just how rash she can be. We need stability, level headedness, and that organizational know-how that you have and she doesn’t. Also, Thunder isn’t the best for social etiquette, which is still important in Aincrad, especially for certain guilds. You can handle Heathcliff and the Knights of the Bloodoath if they were to visit us, while Thunder would struggle to match the expected decorum. Together, the three of us will make the strongest leaders the Wondercolts currently have.”
“If we wanted Thunder, or Kiefer, we’d be speaking with them right now,” Natora added.
Kiefer was someone Malus hadn’t considered for leadership. Then again, he had led a few others the other day in training. He had a lot of potential.
“So, I just gotta sit in the seat and break a tie if y’all disagree?” Malus asked.
“For the most part, yeah,” Bladescape said with a shrug. “You may be asked to help consult, but that’s no different from what we normally would ask you. Maybe a little more responsibility, like advising us about when we need to give rest days or switch to a lighter load, but most stuff will fall on Natora and I. We didn’t balance it properly with Knightstar. She had a business she was running alongside guiding the guild, and we didn’t realize what the extra stress was doing to her. Regardless, that was always how we intended the third seat to function for us."
“I’m sure you have more to contribute than you think,” Natora added. “You handled everything really well today.”
“What did happen?” Bladescape asked. “I didn’t expect you to be there for long, just longer than you were. It didn’t sound like you left due to trouble.”
Natora nodded to Malus.
"Nah, no trouble, least not on our end,” Malus said. “Few groups were clearin today, but one that was, was Meigibu. Lobelia lost three in the labyrinth the other day. Bad luck, plain and simple, however, they’re strugglin, flounderin as clearers. I sort of offered for us to join hands with em once again.”
“Good call,” Bladescape said. “We don’t want to lose them. They’re a strong force in the clearers. Not many guilds are their size. Plus, they are our friends. We certainly don’t want to lose them as friends. Who did they lose?”
“Three I ain’t familiar with,” Malus said. “Newer women who weren’t at our Christmas shindig. It was, uh, Hanun, Anaya, and Siress.”
“They need levels and morale,” Natora added. “It’s not going to be easy with the tight spot they’re in. Their morale has taken a big hit. Being fresh off their three losses, well that’s a really low blow to any guild, but especially them. Like us, they are very social and friendly with each other. A big family. Anaya, Hanun, and Siress were new members, but older friends of some of their members. I know Jade was close with them. I didn’t know them.”
Bladescape could remember at least seven names since they arrived on Floor Twenty-Six: Tasfi, Marta, and Alita died in the thirty-ninth floor boss raid. Kassadin and Phaedra perished, but she didn’t know when. Losing Anaya, Hanun, and Siress was a big blow. There were other deaths for the guild too, which Bladescape did not know the details of. For their size, it was a lot to lose. They had lost others as fighters for the usual reasons too.
Bladescape just gave a slow nod as she thought over something. “Well, I also could use a larger support network tomorrow,” Bladescape admitted. “It’s been odd for me the past few days. Laughing Coffin has me off my groove.”
“What exactly happened?” Natora asked. “A second run in with them?”
Bladescape sighed and brought them up to speed.
“You got lucky,” Malus said. “Glad you’re safe an that Klein was there to back ya up.”
Bladescape opened her menu and caught the spear. It was an evil looking weapon. Malice was forged into each thorn. The pain each thorn caused was something Bladescape could personally attest to.
“Wicked,” Natora said, shaking her head. It was not the cool ‘wicked.’ “Where did that stab you?”
Bladescape pointed it out. “I can still feel it, but it didn’t stop me as intended.”
“And Klein removed it?” Natora asked. “One handed or two?”
Bladescape rolled her eyes. “He was a perfect gentleman, but it required both of his hands.”
“That had to be even more painful than the stab,” Natora said. She started to laugh at her comment.
Bladescape rolled her eyes again and let out a single laugh. “It would have been, now that I think of it, but at the moment, I had just brutally beaten a man. Flogged him with my sword in my rage. That wasn’t something I was really concerned about when it came to removing the spear. I needed to speak with Thinker and having it in me wasn’t going to be conducive to that discussion. It was an odd feeling, having a rod in my chest, but not actually causing sharp pain. It was dull. It was in there good, too. I would have felt worse if I wasn’t in plate armor. The plates were a nice buffer for his hand and I wasn’t getting it out on my own. Like I said, he was a gentleman about it and had a swift, strong pull. He does deserve the good marks for his excellent maturity.”
“Good, cause otherwise I’d have to box his ears,” Malus said. “Anythin else to discuss before I take my seat?”
“Not that I can think of,” Natora said.
“We'll make the announcement at breakfast,” Bladescape determined. “We probably will get some questions, but let us answer them. It’s our decision, not their vote.”
“Then I’ll see y’all in the mornin,” Malus said.
“Oh, one last, tiny, thing to think about,” Bladescape said. “We've been discussing adding formal roles and structure to the guild. At ten players, we are large enough to make use of it. Not just officers for a command structure, but things like designer, chef, and such to boost the importance of everyone’s roles.”
“That’s a mighty fine idea,” Malus said. “I agree. I’ll think on it.”
Bladescape and Natora nodded to her and Malus left. She went up the stairs to her floor and room. Inside, she could relax. She was going to need a fishing trip real soon, but tomorrow obviously wasn’t good for it. For now, she could get the solace she needed from her room.
Leading wasn’t her idea or goal, but she understood why they picked her. It was a good reason with plenty of forethought. They had essentially decoupled the seat from Knightstar, eliminating Malus’ main argument. Malus would make her contributions when she could, how she could. She wouldn’t be dead weight. Maybe as a councilor she could get Knightstar’s recovery effort moving along faster.
With Malus gone, Natora pointed to what was on Bladescape’s desk. "What's that? Is it the other thing you alluded to from the King Black Dragon?"
Bladescape sighed and sat down on her bed. "Yeah. It's called the Black Draconic Visage. It has an item ranking of S, but I have no idea what it's for. I assume some type of crafting since it isn’t food, but if I poke around in the wrong place, then other players will find out about it. I don't want them to know the King Black Dragon is dead. Or rather, that I killed it with Doom and Kirito. That is a complicated mess of a situation."
"Yeah, you mentioned something about that yesterday," Natora said. "But it led to something good. You ended up helping the kids and Sasha only because you joined Doom when she went to get Colorra's food from them. I'm really glad we were able to do that. Being large enough to do it and also hit the labyrinth is a big plus.
"I'm glad you chose Klein to help. As much of a goof as he is, he's rock solid in a fight and we needed everyone else where they were. We may not have run into Meigibu if we were running a team of four. We probably would have been too slow in our own battles. We did a lot of good today. Things that will resonate with them for the rest of their lives, not just in Aincrad. They have Sasha taking care of them, but they will always remember us giving them the day we could, plus the day prior for Gin, Kain, and Mina. It’s a lasting impact across realities. Sasha really needed some backup and she got it."
"Thanks," Bladescape said, smiling at Natora. It was good to hear that assessment. "I'm glad to hear it all went well on the other fronts. It was good to finish our level goal with Sasha. I don't know her plans for her two new skill slots, but she has them. Yesterday she didn't even have the hope of another one on the horizon."
"It's hard to believe that Sasha is only a few years older than us," Natora added. "Twenty or twenty-one. The kids are only four or five years younger than us. That isn't a big difference. Heck. Kirito and Asuna are somewhere between us and the kids. Fourteen, maybe Fifteen, when they joined. Silica probably was twelve, the same age as most of the kids, yet she looks way more mature in her youth than they do. She is at least surviving on her own. Age is so different in Aincrad, yet we still hold onto the conventional system we grew up with. A chronological system that has social expectations sewn into it."
"Klein made a comment about that too," Bladescape said. "Sort of like he was hitting on me, except he wasn't as direct as every other time. And it was bad timing, my head was still swimming."
"He's desperate," Natora said with a chuckle. "Ignoring the doofus, it's hard to not think about age considering what we did the past day or two. I could take the same train, same car, with Sasha every day as I went to school, but we wouldn't ever speak in ways necessary to become friends because our ages require us to play different roles. That's not a bad thing; I like those ideals — for one it keeps older guys like Klein from hitting on me — but we are not out there, in Japan. I'm not sure what that would mean when we get back, but does that even matter? What if we don't get back?"
Bladescape shrugged. "Klein equated it to all of us being born in Aincrad on the same day. He isn't wrong. Neither is he, or you, wrong about age not meaning the same thing. Kirito looks older than he is, or at least is treated as older, because of his position, something he earned in many ways and crafted in others. Same with Asuna. I'm sure the same goes for the Wondercolts. Heck, I'm friends with Godfree. He's married with a kid on the way. Well, by now the kid has to have been born. He doesn't even know if it's a boy or a girl. The point is, by Japan's social standards, he and I shouldn't be friends. Not easily.
“As you said, it's appropriately protective. Maybe if he owned a restaurant or store I constantly frequented, but the train analogy is a good one. Same with Klein, Agil, and some others, yet what is five years difference? I get it, there are some big life events between seventeen and twenty-two, university being the main one. That's pretty big, yet five years after that, the five year difference doesn't matter much. So what if it starts early?"
"And yet, both of us have fallen into the same pitfall many others are in," Natora said. "The old guys, the retro-gamers who are clearly over forty yet are not a part of the middle-aged crew, there are quite a few of them. None on the front, though, because they don't believe they can do the same things we can simply because of their age. It's not easy overcoming that mental block. The trap all of us, or many of us, have fallen into-" Natora stopped mid-sentence and thought over something. "Let me ask a question instead. Have you had a birthday since SAO started?"
Bladescape reflexively looked at the calendar, except it was in the junishi of Aincrad, not the months and days format she was used to. It took some math to figure it out, but it wasn't too hard. She didn't have the energy to do it at the moment. Officially on her passport, her birthday was officially the day she entered the human world from Equestria. "At least one," Bladescape admitted.
"I've had two," Natora said. "We don't remember or celebrate birthdays because they don't actually mean anything in Aincrad. It's not just because Aincrad uses a different calendar. The change is really just in the names of each month. Yet, adult or not, you haven't graduated. I could, but I'm not quite ready for the university entrance exams, which basically puts me in the same boat as you. I don't have anything else to add other than that. It's something to think about, but not obsess over. I'm not sure if it even matters.”
"It's a good mental exercise," Bladescape said. "But I don't know if it matters either. Part of me wants to say 'screw the system' except I want to get back to that system and I also don't know how to screw it."
"I've taken up enough of your time," Natora added. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. No matter what time it is."
"Thanks," Bladescape said. “You too.”
“Thanks, but I didn’t have the run in like you did,” Natora shot back with a wink to lighten the mood.
Natora left the room and Bladescape put the dragon head in her materials storage, for now. She almost hung Harmonic Salvation on its setting, but instead she grabbed the thorned spear. It was a pathetic weapon compared to what she had, or even what Natora used, but it had almost killed her and probably claimed the lives of several other players. It would also make for a good reminder for her so that she didn't falter again. She put it on the rack where Harmonic Salvation usually went. She would get it mounted to preserve it on the next free day, probably the day after their labyrinth dive with Meigibu. Thankfully, Rico had flexible hours.
Bladescape pulled out the necklace she had taken from Kurayaro's neck. It had belonged to an unnamed girl he had murdered, probably with the same spear she now owned. She was one of the first known players directly killed by a fellow player, although Bladescape didn't know their names. It held no enhancement, which meant that it held sentimental value to the player who had been wearing it. The chrysanthemum was a very special and powerful flower to Japan. It was featured everywhere — on official government documents, buildings, and other governmental items — for well over a millennium. Unfortunately, the exact meaning of this necklace was lost forever.
A player could only equip a single necklace, at least officially. This was an unenchanted piece, meaning she wasn't going to try and wear two pieces in the same slot. If Doombunny could wear three daggers on her, then Bladescape was certain she could also wear it. There was a lot of clothing and equipment players wore that didn't fit into the slots. Scarves and sweaters were just two examples. SAO was more complicated and immersive than slapping on a few preset types of armor or clothes. Their menus did a lot, but they were not the only way. The system was adapting to fit their needs, albeit a bit slowly sometimes.
Bladescape swept her hair out of the way and then she slipped the necklace on. The system didn't reject it or stop her from locking the clasp. She let go and looked down. It hung lower on her armor than the geode necklace did, but it was on a longer chain. Bladescape pulled her armor off and put it on the stand so she could reorganize the layers.
Ashley had made her armor to be as few pieces as possible. It was a comfortable set for her torso, made of a few layers but ultimately one piece, including her golden base layer. She didn't need to wear anything under it or under her leg plates. The geode was usually sitting on the gorget. It was sometimes visible, especially if you were up close like Kurayaro had gotten. The chrysanthemum necklace would have to sit completely under her armor. Against her olive skin, it was mostly lost because it was so finely crafted, but it felt nice, and no matter what its meaning was to its previous owner, she would wear it to honor the dead.
Bladescape fell onto her bed, not even bothering to wear anything over her body. It was just her in the room. Her and the bed. She lazily traced her cutie mark with a finger. She might not be able to feel the tattoo, but she still remembered the dull ache left in the wake of the tattoo gun as it outlined the mark. It made it easy for her to trace it without looking.
Bladescape rolled out of bed when her alarm went off and onto all fours. She stood there, butt in the air as she tried to comprehend why her fists were on the ground. Then she realized that she couldn't feel her fingers. Everything felt like she was back in Equestria.
Bladescape groaned in defeat and flopped onto her side. She laid there as the feeling in her hands finally began to morph from hoof to fingers. As soon as she felt "normal," Bladescape slowly got up. She had no idea what had happened, but it was over. At least, it was over for now.
Breakfast had just started when she arrived, the last one to the dining room.
"Glad we didn't have to wake you up," Malus said, smiling warmly at her. "Everythin' alright? You don't look like your normal self."
"Didn't sleep well," Bladescape yawned. "Woke up feeling like I wasn't in my body. Like I was split between here, IRL, and possibly Equestria."
Malus leaned in closer and spoke quieter. "Could they um, have gotten you back there to, uh, do anythin'? Maybe magic?"
"I don't think so," Bladescape said as she sat down. "For one, they would have to run an internet connection through to Equestria, and I’m not sure if that's even possible."
"Sounds silly when you put it like that," Malus shrugged. "Just play it safe today and hang back a bit. You don't need to be as aggressive as usual. We have a whole army."
"Does everyone know the plan?" Bladescape asked Natora.
"Not yet," Natora said.
Bladescape stood up to address everyone. Most of them had been paying attention to the conversation anyway. "Everyone, this morning Natora and I want to officially announce that, after a lot of consideration, Malus will be taking the empty seat on the guild's council. It was a decision we have been going back and forth on for a while now to keep the power balance in the guild strong and fair. We also have another guild announcement. We are going to be giving out some positions soon, to make us more officially organized. We're large enough to assign real positions. We're open to suggestions as we develop that plan. We simply want to make a way to formally recognize how much each of you does for the guild.
"Now for the day's plan. Yes, we are hitting the Labyrinth, but for those who don't know, we aren't doing it alone. We're going to be teaming up with Meigibu. Lobelia and her guild will be waiting for us at the labyrinth's entrance.
"This is a tough labyrinth. It's heavy, slow, and with narrow passageways. The Knobbled Hobgoblins wield a lot of maces. Today, our shields will earn their worth. I am guessing we will end up in new parties with our friends in Meigibu, but to start, Malus will have Doom, Soryuto, Kiefer and myself. Natora will take Diemond, Konpeito, Thunder, and Reisenki. That splits us to two shields and at least one damage dealer in each party. Soryuto has been dealing with their maces well."
Everyone agreed with the plan and no one raised an issue with Malus taking her new position. Bladescape needed a break from leading after the previous day and it would officially put Malus into the Councilor role, while having Bladescape as backup if she needed it. Everyone finished breakfast and, for those who were not ready, split to get their armor and equipment. Bladescape, Natora, Thunderborne, and Malus went to the front foyer, as usual, to wait. Today, Bladescape actually sat down in a chair rather than stand for the five minutes it would take for everyone to assemble.
BLADESCAPE: Level 85 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint — Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry — Acrobatics — Greatsword
NATORA: Level 80 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce — Sprint — Extended Weight Carry
MALUS: Level 80 — One-Handed War Hammer — Heavy Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts — Rend — Sprint
THUNDERBORNE: Level 80 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts — Blade Throwing — Search
KONPEITO: Level 80 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard — Extended Weight Carry — Rend
DIEMOND: Level 80 — Mace — Heavy Shield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry — Jewelry Creation — Rend
DOOMBUNNY: Level 81 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Listen — Reveal — Main-gauche — Search
KIEFER: Level 79 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging — Blade Throwing — Armor Pierce
SORYUTO: Level 77 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
REISENKI: Level 79 — One-Handed Axe — Heavy Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining — One-Hand Weapon Creation
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Not only been in?
Bladescape taking a seat instead of standing and waiting seems unusually significant. I guess she's really been put off her game by her bad wake-up and the whole Laughing Coffin affair. The lack of dreams/proper REM is probably playing havoc with her head. Honestly, I wonder how the Mental Health Counselling Program 001/Yui would have handled her if not for Kayaba's interference with Cardinal System.
Did Blade REALLY have hooves when she woke up? or was she dreaming?
Even if they tried by force, it'll be a slim chance of working.
Still find it hard to believe she kept it knowing it was in her at some point.
box his ears?
Kirito was 14 when he joined, and Asuna at 15.
It's a shame knowing he'll never get to met his child knowing what's coming for him in the future.
Kinda coincidental she mentioned exams seeing I have two finals next week. It's a lot to deal with knowing it's the Christmas season and the book I've been working on is already out with people getting copies, which in a nutshell, both are making me feel all sorts of emotions, and just not sure how I can handle it!
Strange?
I think I get what the big deal is. To some it might seem like an empty chair, but it still represents something. Malus is hesitant to take it because it belonged to Knightstar, and she feels like taking it will mean Knightstar is never coming back, and she doesn't want to give up on her.
It's kinda like how some people always sit in a specific spot and when that person leaves or passes away some still consider it to be that person's spot and don't want anyone sitting there.
12054721
"Box his ears" is a old term, but valid in the setting
12054919
Oh I see, thx.
12054721
Consider though that SAO's Station's of Canon aren't being entirely followed here. Odds are Godfree may in fact survive. Perhaps he enlists the Wondercolts as an extra hand on his Training Mission.
12054984
I'm aware but I got into its anime version before starting to learn about its original version from the late 2000s.
12054531
"You have not been in one floor boss" is technically correct, albeit a little backwards. Since they all know she has been in every other one, there is no confusions, at least in the character's head. Reading a serial novel there can be.
How Yui would help her is an interesting question. I have no answer. I would not say she is getting into REM sleep, when she does. She do push herself more in the evenings and later, training, getting less sleep. That certainly wears on Blade. Thunder's push came at a horrible time.
12054698
Tactile senses were affected only. And just for a short bit. The day prior was extremely stressful and Thunder added more.
12054721
We may know how old Kirito and Asuna are when they joined, but Blade and Natora don't officially know. Yes, her trauma causes strange reactions. The spear will be a good reminder to not go as far as she did.
I wish I was back in school, dealing with exams. lol.
12055166
Mhm and be glad your not in my shoes trying to juggle work, college finals and completing some things for your own book you published, which can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
12054913
Very much true. Assigning meanings like that is natural, at least for certain people. Whether it is in death or moving, we leave impressions in the lives of those around us. When we leave, a hole is left. Whether it is physically bound to a chair or location, or unbound, it is still a void. They are necessary aspects of forming communities and societies.
12055171
I love academia. I will gladly take that entire workload on. When I go onto my PhD, I will be working on top of the research and classes. And still finding time to write profusely for my own sanity. One day I'll publish. For now, Ruby Palace is my testing and training ground. I spent the last week only working on my NaNoWriMo story I started in 2020.
12055192
gotcha
12055228
I know I am insane. lol.
12055163
ah gotcha! thanks for clarifying!
12054993
I meant more that, LN or Anime, the canon of what happens in them doesn't always line up in this.
12054993
12055514
At this point, SAO timeline is skewed, although it is very good for roughing out when floors are conquered, to ensure I have good pacing. I am also using Kirito's level benchmarks that we know for timing and leveling the girls well. The closer to 75 we get, the more it skews because of the girl's impacts. I want 75 boss fight to be right about November 7. 75+ is when I can really swing for the fences. I have two major arcs that happen on a single floor. 20ish chapters each.
12055759
sounds like quite the challenge.
12055784
It is a fun challenge.
i.imgflip.com/9cr9ya.jpg I had to do this. I am very much enjoying this story so far, after binging the previous one. Finished floor 1 so far, and my main thing to say is noooooo Joltron!
12055835
I love it! I need more memes. I released one for a much later chapter in a recent blog post. I have another one or two on standby for a much later chapters. I'm thrilled you are enjoying the story.
12055882
Ok I really didn't mean to use the same template! I am really enjoying this so far, My guess so far is Kirito being friendlier with the Wondercolts might be part of the butterfly effect towards Floor 75
12055995
Don't worry about it! Templates are templates. It works! It was the best template for it. I laughed hard. That is a very good guess. I love hearing the guesses and predictions of my readers, as well as chatting in the comments.
That's weird. I just can't focus on anything in this chapter.
12056118
Very weird. Next week is a shift. It will be fun. Part 3 of OMR!